4 Responses to “Playing Lesson – Play The Percentages”

Paul ,This is a situation I find myself quite often .For me ,it’s nearly always a low punch shot with a 2,3 or 4 hybrid ,clubs I master pretty well.
If the lie is really bad ,or the overhanging tree limb too low ,I chip as you show .
I may also take a penalty stroke and drop the ball within two clubs length of the ball without getting nearer the hole or walk backwards along a straight line from the pin through the ball as far as I wish .I may get this way directly to the green .
This last occurence (Walking back )happened in a very recent Open Championship in the USA (This year 2017):I don’t remember if it was DUSTIN JOHNSON,BRUCE KOEPKA or HENRIK STENSON (Or another top player ).I remember he went back in straight line to the parking lot and from there got on the green .His ball was lying initially in a bad lie at the bottom of a mound from which postion he couldn’t see the green .It took half an hour with the arbiter to determine what to do!!!During that long interruption of play the other players had just to wait !

Some of those rulings can take forever. Not sure what they can do about it. Kind of interesting to hear what they are saying as they try to get the ruling.

Sounds like you can hit this shot. Most cannot trust they are going to pull it off. This is where a big number can come in. Big numbers are not good. If people just asked themselves what percentage they think they can pull off the shot and stick to only 75% I bet they would shave at least 5 shots of their score.

That’s a great playing lesson Paul! Nice execution on both those shots. Maybe February before I can practice those for real. I’m playing vicariously through your lessons after my left hand surgery in July.
Thanks

Just look at this time off to work on your swing and perfect the positions. Not sure if you can hold onto the club. If not, make sure you are loading onto the instep back heel 80% in practice swings with no club. Stabilizing the lower as you coil back with arms crossed against your chest. Uncoiling to the touch the legs position etc. This will all help.